04Appendix 9/14/04 7:12 PM Page 623 Appendix Directory of Major New York State Government Agencies and Other Sources —623— 04Appendix 9/14/04 7:12 PM Page 624 04Appendix 9/14/04 7:12 PM Page 625 Adirondack Park Agency Contact: 1-800-522-4369 (voice, Spanish and TTY) (518) 473-4609 (main administration number) P.O. Box 99 (518) 473-4321 (TTY for people who are deaf, hard of Ray Brook, New York 12977 hearing or have speech impairments) Ross S. Whaley, Chairman (518) 473-6005 (fax) Daniel T. Fitts, Executive Director E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: www.advoc4disabled.state.ny.us Contact: Daniel T. Fitts, Executive Director (518) 891-4050 (voice) The New York State Office of Advocate for Persons with Disabili- (518) 891-3938 (fax) ties (OAPwD) is a systems advocacy agency whose primary mis- Web Site: www.apa.state.ny.us sion is to ensure that people with disabilities have every oppor- tunity to be productive and participating citizens through: full The Adirondack Park Agency was created in 1971 pursuant to access to emerging technology; access to up-to-date, compre- Article 27 of the Executive Law as an independent agency in the hensive information on programs and services available to people State Executive Department. It is comprised of eleven members, with disabilities and their families; implementation of progressive eight of whom are private citizens appointed by the Governor legislation protecting the equal rights of people with disabilities, with the consent of the Senate, five of whom must be full-time such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); and inclusion Park residents, no more than five of whom may be of the same in the mainstream of state public policy development. political party. The Governor appoints a chairperson from the citizen members. The other three members are the commis- Programs Administered by OAPwD: sioners of Environmental Conservation and Economic Develop- ment and the Secretary of State. I Cross-systems advocacy; policy and program implemen- tation: OAPwD provides technical assistance and training The basic purpose of the Adirondack Park Agency Act is to “ensure on the provisions of the Rehabilitation Act, ADA, New optimum overall conservation, protection, preservation, develop- York State Human and Civil Rights Laws and other ment and use of the unique scenic, aesthetic, wildlife, recreational, federal and state statutes, regulations, and policies con- open space, historic, ecological and natural resources of the cerning people with disabilities. This includes assistance Adirondack park.” The Agency seeks to accomplish this through and training on accessibility and barrier-free design in master planning for State lands, and administration of a land use transportation, housing and other construction. Periodic control program for private lands. Forty-three percent of the land updates on state legislative proposals related to disability of the Park is Forest Preserve owned by the people of the State and issues are also available and can be downloaded from the protected by Article XIV of the State Constitution, which mandates agency website. that it “. be forever kept as wild forest lands” and prohibits Contact: (518) 473-6005 (fax) timber cutting or alienation. (518) 473-4231 (TTY only) 1-800-522-4369 (voice, Spanish and TTY) The Agency administers the State Land Master Plan in consulta- E-mail: [email protected] tion with the Department of Environmental Conservation. Upon Web Site: www.oapwd.org approval by the Governor the Master Plan guides the manage- ment of State lands. It also administers the “Adirondack Park I Information and Referral (I&R): OAPwD operates a toll- Private Land Use and Development Plan” enacted by the Legis- free, statewide information and referral line. OAPwD’s lature for private lands. It seeks to encourage towns and villages to computerized I&R database, SATIRN, is available at no adopt local land use programs. Upon Agency approval of such plans, cost to community-based and public agencies. Informa- much of the Agency’s permitting function over new land use, tion is provided on a wide variety of topics — including development and subdivision is transferred to local government. education, accessibility, employment, housing, assistive technology, transportation, legal rights and responsi- The Agency also administers the State Wild, Scenic and Recrea- bilities, rehabilitation, financial assistance and disability tional Rivers System Act on private lands and the Freshwater benefits. The 800-line is equipped with a TTY to answer Wetlands Act for both public and private lands within the Park. calls from people who are deaf, hard of hearing or who Approximately 95 percent of the Wild, Scenic and Recreational have speech problems. Rivers in the State are in the Park, and approximately 14 percent of Contact: (518) 473-6005 (fax) the six million acre Park is wetland. (518) 473-4231 (TTY only) 1-800-522-4369 (voice, Spanish and TTY) The Agency also operates two Adirondack Park Visitor Interpre- E-mail: [email protected] tive Centers: the Paul Smiths Center on Route 30 in the Town of Web Site: www.oapwd.org Brighton, Franklin County, and the Newcomb Center on Route 28, Town of Newcomb, Essex County. Both centers offer inter- I Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disa- preted trails, indoor exhibits and audiovisual programs, without bilities (TRAID) Project: Through a federal grant from charge, daily except Thanksgiving and Christmas. the National Institute for Disability Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), OAPwD provides statewide coordi- nation of assistive technology activities for people with disabilities, fosters development of state and federal policies to enhance availability of assistive technology, provides information, training, technical assistance and Advocate for Persons with Disabilities, New advocacy on how to access and use assistive technology York State Office of services and devices. The TRAID Project, in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health Early One Empire State Plaza Intervention Program, provides partial funding to 13 Suite 1001 regional technology centers, which have equipment loan Albany, New York 12223-1150 lending libraries for infants and toddlers with disabilities Richard Warrender, State Advocate and their families. —625— 04Appendix 9/14/04 7:12 PM Page 626 Contact: (518) 473-6005 (fax) development, stabilization and preservation of neighborhoods (518) 473-4231 (TTY only) and communities. To achieve these goals, the Corporation pro- 1-800-522-4369 (voice, Spanish and TTY) vides financial assistance, in conjunction with other private and E-mail: [email protected] public investment, for the construction, acquisition, rehabili- Web Site: www.oapwd.org tation and improvement of owner-occupied housing. I Support Services: In maintaining its lead systems advo- The Corporation may provide grants within the following per cacy role and assuring that disability issues are addressed dwelling unit limitations: up to $20,000 per unit; or $25,000 in the mainstream of state policy development, OAPwD within the limits of available funding, per unit for projects located participates on an on-going basis in a broad range of state in high cost areas as defined by the Corporation, or projects policy and planning panels and reviews a broad spectrum receiving a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development of proposed legislation, regulations and policy for poten- Service (formerly the Farmer’s Home Administration) Loan. To tial impact on people with disabilities. The overall goal is encourage the leveraging of other private and public funds, the to assure that disability issues are addressed in a timely, Corporation grants cannot exceed 60 percent of the total project cost-effective and practical manner by all agencies. development costs. By reducing development and rehabilitation Contact: (518) 473-6005 (fax) costs, assistance provided under the Act by the Corporation makes (518) 473-4231 (TTY only) homeownership affordable to families and individuals for whom 1-800-522-4369 (voice, Spanish and TTY) there are no other reasonable and affordable home ownership E-mail: [email protected] alternatives in the private market. Additionally, the development Web Site: www.oapwd.org and rehabilitation activities undertaken in connection with this Program are intended to help eliminate conditions of blight and OAPwD does not have an annual schedule of training deterioration and to create jobs and stability in communities programs. When training programs are scheduled they throughout the State. are listed on OAPwD’s website and with the information and referral staff. Eligible applicants include: local Municipalities; housing author- ities; housing development fund companies; neighborhood and OAPwD does not schedule public hearings. Any announce- rural preservation companies; as well as not-for-profit or charitable ments of public meetings or forums scheduled will be organizations primarily involved in housing development. listed on the website. The Corporation works with its parent agency, HFA, and its sister I Grants administered by OAPwD: Regional TRAID Centers. agency, the State of New York Mortgage Agency (SONYMA), to Contact: Lisa Rosano-Kaczkowski of the TRAID Project increase homeownership opportunities. As part of the Agency’s (518) 474-2825 (voice only) (518) 473-6005 (fax) policy of one-stop shopping, the SONYMA Project Set-Aside (518) 473-4231 (TTY only) application has been incorporated into the AHC